This invention relates to an improved lever-operated connector in which connector housings are connected together through leverage.
A connector of this type has an advantage that the connection and disconnection can be effected with a small force, and this concept has been applied particularly to multi-terminal connectors. Its basic principle is based on the action of leverage, and such a conventional construction disclosed, for example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 4-62772 is broadly as follows.
A typical construction of a conventional connector shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, for example, is known. On the left side of FIG. 14 is a female connector housing 1 arranging more than one female terminals (not shown), whereas on the right side thereof is a male connector housing 2 arranging more than one male terminals (not shown) and having a hood portion 2a for accommodating the female connector housing 1. Cam follower pins 3 are projected from opposite (right and left) side walls of the female connector housing 1, and guide grooves 4 for receiving the cam follower pins 3 are formed in opposite (right and left) side walls of the hood portion 2a of the male connector housing 2.
A lever 5 is rotatably supported by the male connector housing 2 so that the lever 5 can turn between an open position shown in FIG. 14 to a connected position shown in FIG. 15 around pivot pins 2b projected from the side walls of the male connector housing 2. Cam grooves 6 to be engaged with the cam follower pins 3 are formed in the inner surfaces of the lever 5. The cam grooves 6 are inclined so that the cam follower pins 3 can enter deep into the hood portion 2a of the male connector housing 2 in association with the pivotal movement of the lever 5. The female connector housing 1 is inserted into the hood portion 2a of the male connector housing 2 from a state shown in FIG. 14, and the lever 5 is turned in a direction of an arrow in FIG. 14. As a result, the cam follower pins 3 and hence the female connector housing 1 enter deep into the hood portion 2a by leverage through the cam grooves 6 in the lever 5, thereby completing the connection of both connector housings in a state shown in FIG. 15.
To ensure such connection of the connector housings, a lock mechanism that locks the lever 5 in the connected position is arranged. Details of the lock mechanism is as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B. A distal end portion of the lever 5 is hollowed out square to form a retained portion 7, and a retaining pawl 8 is formed in a distal end portion of the female connector housing 1 so that the return of the lever 5 toward the open position can be prevented with the retaining pawl 8 engaged with the retained portion 7. This retaining pawl 8 is designed so as to turn in a direction of an arrow in FIG. 16A elastically through an elastic leg 9. By pressing a distal end portion 8a of the retaining pawl 8 by a finger, the retaining pawl 8 is turned to release its engagement with the retained portion 7.
The surface on which the retained portion 7 engaged with the retaining pawl 8 has conventionally been defined in such a shape that the bottom surface of the retaining pawl 8 is simply extended flat as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B.
However, the above-mentioned conventional structure is disadvantageous in that if a strong turning force toward the open position is exerted on the lever 5 that is in the connected position, the retaining pawl 8 is raised by the lower surface of the retained portion 7, which then causes the elastic leg 9 to be deformed elastically so as to get away from the retained portion 7. This readily puts the retaining pawl 8 in a retracting portion as shown in FIG. 16B. As a result, the engagement between the retained portion 7 and the retaining pawl 8 is to be released more readily, which does not allow the lever 5 locking function to be performed adequately, and causes the connector housings to be disconnected undesirably.
Another construction of the conventional lever-operated connector is shown in FIGS. 17A to 17D. Many male terminals are arranged in a male connector housing 101, and many female terminals are arranged in a female connector housing 102 to be inserted into the male connector. A lever 103 having a cam groove 103a for effecting leverage is rotatably mounted on the male connector housing 101, and a cover 104 having an engagement projection 104a is attached to the female connector housing 102. For connecting the two connector housings 101 and 102 together, the engagement projection 104a is engaged in the cam groove 103a in the lever 103 as shown in FIG. 17B, and in this condition the lever 103 is rotationally moved in a direction of an arrow described in FIG. 17B, so that the cover 104 and hence the female connector housing 102 are displaced toward the male connector housing 101 by leverage through the cam groove 103a, therefore the two connector housings connect together.
In the above-mentioned construction, the cam groove 103a in the lever 103 is smoothly curved to be gradually changed in curvature so that the lever 103 can impart a downward displacing force to the engagement projection 104a at any point through the angle of rotational movement of the lever 103 from an open position (FIG. 17B) to the connected position (FIG. 17D).
In this construction, for disconnecting the two connector housings form each other, the lever lock mechanism is first released to allow the rotational movement of the lever 103, and then the finger is put on the distal end portion of the lever 103, and then the lever is turned upward.
However, in this operation, even when the locking by the lever lock mechanism is released, the lever is not automatically moved to a position where the finger can be easily put on the lever. Therefore, the connector housings 101 and 102 are held with one hand, and the lever 103 is forcibly turned with the finger of the other hand in this condition. Thus, this operation can never be effected with one hand. Therefore, after the connector is incorporated into a narrow space in an equipment, there has been encountered a problem that it is quite difficult to disconnect the connector.
The prevent invention has been accomplished under the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a lever-operated connector which can lock a lever in a connected position surely and whose function for preventing the disconnection of connectors is excellent.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lever-operated connector in which connectors can be easily disconnected from each other when the locking is released.